Ministerial cabinets are being reinforced: according to information from Europe 1, the Prime Minister will allow his ministers, during a government seminar, on Saturday, to recruit more collaborators. It was Jean Castex, himself, who announced it Tuesday in the Council of Ministers: the limit of ten collaborators per ministry, fixed in 2017 by Emmanuel Macron on his arrival at the Élysée, is abandoned.
"Overdue cabinets"
When the news spread among the councilors, it was a real relief. "It will be good," says one of them to Europe 1, when another sighs: "There are so many subjects to deal with ... During the coronavirus crisis, we worked day and night." This is why, even at the top of the state, we recognize it: "It was necessary. There are overdue cabinets," slips a member of the Élysée.
If the principle is established, the precise number of collaborators per minister is not yet fixed. 15 is the number that comes up the most, but it will be lower for deputy ministers and secretaries of state.
More political advisers in 2022?
These swollen cabinets symbolize the end of a promise from Emmanuel Macron who, upon his arrival at the Élysée Palace, had imposed the reduction in staff. At the time, the executive imagined that the directors of large administrations would play the role of technical advisers. This strategy aimed to reduce expenses and gain agility. "In fact, it never happened like that," said a minister's aide.
These new staff should allow the government to gain in efficiency, to be in closer contact with the territories but also to plan for the next deadlines. "At the end of the quinquennium, more political advisers are needed," says a macronist. The teams around Emmanuel Macron are already actively preparing for 2022.